Bridge over the Water of Leith

Upper Drawbridge

now

Sandport Place Bridge

Upper Drawbridge, Leith   1910

Upper Drawbridge over the Water of Leith at Sandport Place, Leith  -  2010Lower Drawbridge over the Water of Laith at The Shore, Leith  -  Removed 1910

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh

Sandport Place Bridge, Leith  -  2011

Looking NW across the bridge at Sandport Place towards Ronadson's Wharf  -  2011

©  Copyright: Peter Stubbs  -   please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk                                            Photo taken:  January 21, 2011

 

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1910

   Upper Drawbridge over the Water of Leith at Sandport Place, Leith  -  1910 ©

Enlarge this photo

2011

   Looking NW across the bridge at Sandport Place towards Ronadson's Wharf  -  2011 ©

 

Comparison of 1910 and 2011 photos

Bridge over the Water of Leith

The two photos above show the same view, but were taken about 100 years apart.  Both photos look north over the bridge at Sandport Place, towards Ronaldson's Wharf.  The first was taken at low tide.  Now there are locks on Leith Harbour so the water level is always 'high'.

 

Upper Drawbridge

Location

The bridge over the Water of Leith at Sandport Place is where the Upper Drawbridge once stood.  This view looks to the north across the upper drawbridge towards the buildings on Ronaldson's Wharf.

There was a large crowd of youths standing on the bridge when this photo was taken in August 1910.

Map

The Upper Drawbridge is the first bridge over the Water of Leith upstream from the bridge linking Commercial Street and Bernard Street.  It can be seen on this 1870-71 map, immediately to the left of the letter 'L' of 'LEITH HARBOUR' written in the Water of Leith.

Map of Edinburgh and Leith, 1870  -  Leith Section ©

 

Google Map

The upper drawbridge in this photo was immediately to the right of the 'A' symbol on this Google map.

Upper Drawbridge over the Water of Leith at Sandport Place, Leith  -  1910 ©

 

Buildings

The buildings beside the Water of Leith to the east of the Upper Drawbridge on the north bank of the river in Ronaldson's Wharf.  The first two buildings  are Kelly & Co and Johnstons Ltd.

The signs on their buildings read:

D. KELLY & CO. LIMITED

AERATED WATER MANUFACTURERS

and

JOHNSTONS LTD.

BUILDER'S MERCHANTS

CEMENT MERCHANTS

EDINBURGH OFFICE

122 GEORGE STREET

 

Another Photo of Upper Drawbridge

Here is another photo of Upper Drawbridge, Leith.  This photo looks across the river from Coalhill to the old buildings in Ronaldson's Wharf:

Upper Drawbridge over the Water of Leith at Sandport Place, Leith  -  1910 ©

 

Acknowledgement:  Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh:  January 5, 2010

The tow photos above are from a series of photos posted onto boards in an old album that Archie Foley acquired a few years ago.  Archie believes that these are likely to be official photos that probably once belonged to Leith City Council.

Reply

1.

Frank Ferri

Newhaven

Thank you to Frank Ferri who wrote:

Location

   Lower Drawbridge over the Water of Laith at The Shore, Leith  -  Removed 1910 ©

"The Lower Draw Bridge at the Shore Leith  was just beyond the present Bernard Street Bridge to the right of the ship's bow.

You can see the big gate of Brown's, ship repairers.  They are still in business. Two barges are berthed there now."

Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh:  January 17, 2011

 

Brown's, Ship Repairers

Here is a photo of this section of the Water of Leith, taken in 2007.  It shows Brown's ship repairing works (white and blue in this photo)  on the eastern bank of the Water of Leith and the barges mentioned by Frank above.

Cycles on the North Bank of the Water of Leith;  barges on the south bank, at The Shore, Leith ©

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  January 17, 2011

 

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